The Modern Day Dilemma: Smartphones at Weddings

Looking back at our parent's and grandparent's wedding photos, there are no signs of mobile phones flocking the aisle or stealing precious airspace of the venue or view. Many wedding photographers are urging couples to inform their guests of camera etiquette, so they can get a perfect end result. At the end of the day, everyone has different perceptions and expectations. We understand that asking your guests not to have phones at your wedding may not sit too well with all of them, so here are a few tips to help keep your snappy guests happy.

If you are hiring a professional photographer or videographer to document your wedding ceremony, politely ask your guests to leave their cameras in their bags and enjoy the moment. If the message is passed on in the right manner, your friends and family should understand your reasoning. You could say something like ‘We have hired a professional photographer who will be documenting our ceremony so we can get some amazing photos of everyone dressed beautifully. We would like you all to enjoy the ceremony as much as us so please leave your cameras or phones in your bag. We assure you that you will all get some great photos'.

Consider having a Photo Booth or Polaroid station at your wedding. This way your guests can have tons of fun taking happy snaps of themselves and each other and they get a precious keepsake. Set a time allowing guests to have their phones out after the formalities and have your venue display signs encouraging your guests to hashtag pictures of the event to Instagram. By creating a hashtag, you will be able to access all the fun snaps of your guests and you without the hassle of trolling social media sights for days after the wedding. Best of all, your guests will appreciate that they are more involved in creating beautiful memories of your special day.